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BBC Announces “Definitive” Documentary on Harvey Weinstein’s Downfall

BBC plans Harvey Weinstein documentary

The BBC has announced plans for a 90-minute documentary that will depict disgraced studio head Harvey Weinstein’s “career, fall from grace and Hollywood’s culture of abuse.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film, which has the working title Weinstein, will examine the systemic power imbalances in the entertainment industry, beginning with “the studio system in the 1930s,” and how they fostered an environment where a producer like Weinstein was able to allegedly sexually harass and assault actresses and employees for decades before enduring any consequences. The film will also feature interviews with actresses who have already gone on record with accusations of misconduct against the former Miramax head.

Academy Award-winning Production company Lightbox is producing the feature and Ursula Macfarlane (Charlie Hebdo: 3 Days That Shook Paris)has been tapped to direct.

From Variety:

Simon and Jonathan Chinn created Lightbox and, as the producer of Oscar-winning documentaries “Man on Wire” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” Simon comes to the project with some industry knowledge and contacts. “As a little bit of an [industry] insider, I was fascinated with the story as it unfolded and not a little shocked,” he told Variety. “As much as people knew a lot about Harvey and his reputation, there was plenty that we didn’t know.”

Chinn, who has met the disgraced mogul once, said the BBC Two documentary would retell the Weinstein story in light of recent revelations and in the context of the wider culture in Hollywood. “As the story evolved, we started to think about the industry as a whole and the culture and complicity of the industry, and the question of how Harvey got away with that level of alleged behavior and…whether we are looking at a real watershed moment,” he said.

BBC executive Tom McDonald told THR that the documentary “promises to be the definitive take on the Weinstein scandal” which is a tall order considering that we still don’t know how the several active police investigations against the ousted The Weinstein Company co-founder are going to play out.

There’s no premiere date as of yet, but the film is expected to air on BBC 2 at some point in 2018.